Auxvasse may soon boast a Dollar General

Construction may soon begin on a proposed Dollar General store on the east side of Auxvasse.

The 1.44-acre tract of land where a store would be built lies on the north side of Route E, just east of Casey’s General Store.

Overland Properties, owner of the land, has requested the city annex this piece of property. The property is currently in the county, but annexing it to the city would allow a future business to use the city’s water and sewer infrastructure.

Rusty Doss, project engineer with Great River Engineering, is working on behalf of Overland to annex the land. He said, depending on how long the approval process takes, he hopes construction on a Dollar General will begin in 2011.

“It will probably be sooner rather than later,” Doss said.

The report Doss sent to the city stated that after the property is annexed, Overland would petition the city for rezoning the property as commercial so a 9,000-square-foot Dollar General store could be built.

Tawn Earnest, spokesman for Dollar General, said a lease has not been signed yet for a store in Auxvasse, so she could not confirm whether or not one will be built at this time.

Mayor Kevin Phares said he is very supportive of a Dollar General coming to Auxvasse. He said he pushed very hard to have Casey’s come to town, and the council has been working toward bringing more businesses to the city.

“This is a good move for the town,” Phares said.

He also said if the store is built in city limits, it would mean more taxes for the city.

“The key thing is it is going to provide a new tax revenue, which is going to be a big help to the city.”

Missy Hooks, city clerk, said a public hearing will have to be set before annexation can take place. If the city council approves annexation, then a planning and zoning board would have to rezone the property for commercial use.

The city is currently in need of three more citizens to join its planning and zoning board so it can convene. Interested parties can contact city hall at (573) 386-2227.